Another entry in THE SANDMAN series, another 5 star review. A GAME OF YOU is another one where a side-character from a previous story is opened up to occupy a whole world: in this case, almost literally. Barbie, from the Barbie & Ken couple of A DOLL'S HOUSE, has divorced Ken, and found a new home amongst the LGBTQ community of New York City. We finally learn what her dreams were about.

I was quite excited about the diversity in the story. Not only is Wanda trans, but an interracial lesbian couple feature. A black woman shows her true colors, and an eons-old witch schemes. The twists and turns of betrayal and trust shake the story to its foundations, and even I couldn't believe the ending. Now, given the rare diversity of the characters, any ending is going to be brutal. I thought this ending was especially so.

However, I did appreciate this one quirk of the narrative, and it saved the story from being outright depressing for me. In other Gaiman stories, those who spout cliches end up being bad guys. In this one, this ones who don't fully accept Wanda are. The moral of the story is don't be transphobic. Huzzah! I would have still preferred an "And they all lived happily" ending, but this is SANDMAN and it's meant to be a dreamy horror.